Tag Archive for 'Valerie Day'

The “Monoamine Cocktail” Mixology Contest!

January 22, 2010 4:00 pmtoFebruary 5, 2010 10:00 pm

We just had to know – is it possible?  Can a cocktail be designed that simulates the feelings of falling in love?  For all those in search of the perfect Valentine’s Day Love Potion we present the “Brain Chemistry for Lovers” Monoamine Mixology Contest at 3 Doors Down Café.

The“Brain Chemistry for Lovers” creative team put on their lab coats for this effort.  Aided by expert mixologist Matthew Stiles, bartender at the fantastic 3 Doors Down Café, OHSU neuroscientist Dr. Larry Sherman Ph.D., (Brain Chemistry For Lovers resident science advisor) and other experts, we aimed for nothing less than the perfect love potion.

It turned out it was too hard to create just one cocktail. So we created three delectable drink recipes – the Don Juan, the Mata Hari, and the Scarlett O’Hara – that combine all three monoamines using different ingredients. And so a contest was born. You can decide which monoamine cocktail is the new Love Potion #9.

How the contest works:

Step 1 TRY THE THREE MONOAMINE COCKTAILS
at 3 Doors Down Café between Jan. 22 – Feb. 5 or
at home by viewing the recipes online at:

www.brainchemistryforlovers.com or
www.3doorsdowncafe.com

Step 2 CAST YOUR VOTE IN THE “Monoamine Mixology Contest”

Vote on the Brain Chemistry For Lovers CONTACT PAGE
OR on the Brain Chemistry FACEBOOK PAGE
OR at 3 Doors Down Café

Those who vote at 3 Doors Down Café will be entered in a drawing for a $75 dinner gift certificate, an OMSI family membership and other great prizes. For reservations and information, call 503-236-6886 or visit www.3doorsdowncafe.com.

Step 3 HAVE SOME LOVE POTION

The highest-rated cocktail from the contest will be served at the upcoming performance of Brain Chemistry For Lovers presented by OMSI Science Pub Series on Tues., Feb. 9, at 7:00 pm at McMenamins’ Bagdad.Theater.  Order your tickets here.

SHADOW JAZZ II: a benefit concert for The Shadow Project at the Old Church

March 6, 2010
7:30 pmto9:30 pm

The Shadow Project

Valerie Day, formerly with the Grammy nominated Pop/R&B band, NU SHOOZ, will be the featured performer in SHADOW JAZZ II, a concert to benefit The Shadow Project. Valerie will head up a stellar quartet with Mike Horsfall, piano and vibes, Dave Captein, bass, and Gary Hobbs, drums. The Shadow Project is a non-profit, fostering sucess for school children with learning challenges in Portland, Hillsboro and Yamhill County.

Tickets $25.00 at 800 838 3006
Saturday, March 6th, 7:30 p.m.
The Old Church, 1422 S.W. 11th Ave., Portland (click here for map and directions)

The Allison Inn w/Mike Horsfall and Dennis Caiazza

February 20, 2010
6:00 pmto10:00 pm

Valerie, vibraphonist/pianist Mike Horsfall and bassist Dennis Caiazza warm up the evening in Oregon’s Wine Country’s newest luxury resort – the Allison Inn and Spa.

The Allison

Here’s what the Oregonian’s David Sarahson had to say about Jory, the Inn’s restaurant: “Jory is a successful, inviting, creative restaurant, with a range new to the Oregon wine country, a scope that allows it not only to reflect but also express the region and the Northwest. With grape vines on one side and a sweeping view of Willamette Valley hills on the other, it’s a bold attempt to make an appellation a destination.”

When: Saturday, February 20th
6 PM to 10 PM
2525 Allison Lane
Newberg, Oregon 97132 (map and directions)
No Cover

Benefit Concert w/Tom Grant, Tom Cheek, and Dave Captein for Alameda Elementary School’s Music Program

January 12, 2010
6:30 pmto8:30 pm

Alameda Elementary School presents an Evening of Jazz with Tom Grant, Valerie Day, Tom Cheek and Dave Captein at Alameda Elementary School to benefit the general music program.

On January 12, 2010 Alameda alumnus Tom Grant (piano) will join Valerie Day (vocals), Dave Captein (bass) and Tom Cheek (saxophone) to perform a concert at Alameda Elementary School at 6:30 p.m.  Proceeds from the concert will benefit the general music program at Alameda, which is run by Tom Cheek. Tickets will be $15 for adults and $10 for children 12 and under. Limited seating is available for this special event. For tickets contact: Marcie Colledge at (503) 284-2241 or marciecolledge@mac.com

Tom Grant, master instrumentalist, talented singer and natural entertainer nimbly walks the line between jazz tradition and modern pop. This soft-spoken Oregon native’s inspired songwriting produces propulsive R&B grooves, infectious melodic hooks, and stylish ballads with equal ease. He plays jazz piano with the harmonic sophistication and deep sense of swing that only comes from more than three decades on the bandstand. At the same time, his recordings have consistently landed at the top of the Smooth Jazz charts, a genre of music Tom helped pioneer in the mid-80s.

Tom Cheek is a veteran saxophonist, flutist, and clarinetist and is comfortable playing many different genres including Jazz, R&B, Latin, African and Classical. He has performed and/or recorded with many top national and local acts including the Temptations, the Four Tops, Lou Rawls, David Sandborn, NuShooz, Billy Rancher, Calvin Walker, Oregon Symphony, Manhattan Transfer and many others.

Dave Captein is a first call bass player in Portland with flawless technique and superior musicianship. Dave has played with Tom Grant for many years and is experienced at playing most any style of music. He has appeared with Wynton Marsalis, Mose Allison, Richie Cole, Tal Farlow, Ernestine Anderson, Jack Sheldon, Nu Shooz, Marlena Shaw, Frankie Avalon, Paul McCandless, Larry Coryell, Andy Narell, Jerry Hahn, Dave Frishberg, Randy Brecker, Jessica Williams (appearing on 10 of her CD’s), Joey De Francesco, Eric Alexander, Pete Christlieb, Bud Shank, Jeff Lorber, Benny Green and local luminaries such as Ron Steen, Mel Brown, Dan Balmer, Gary Hobbs and Rebecca Kilgore.

Alameda Elementary School
2732 Northeast Fremont Street, Portland, OR 97212-2542

Holiday Concert with The Big Horn Brass

December 13, 2009
6:00 pmto8:30 pm

On Sunday, December 13th, 2009 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, The Big Horn Brass will perform some holiday favorites along with guest vocalist Valerie Day. The music begins at 6:00pm with the St. Matthew Lutheran Church Bell Choir and Heart Strings- a Dulcimer &  Bass Duet. The Big Horn Brass begins at 6:30 PM.

Come for a wonderful evening of your favorite holiday and festive brass music.  After the St. Matthew Lutheran Church Bell Choir and Heart Strings performance, the Big Horn Brass concert will open with a candle lighting to observe the annual Worldwide Candle Lighting sponsored by The Compassionate Friends.  The candle lighting is observed each year on the second Sunday in December. Continue reading ‘Holiday Concert with The Big Horn Brass’

The Big Horn Brass Christmas Show presented by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

December 19, 2009
7:30 pmto9:30 pm
7:30 pmto9:30 pm

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra proudly presents a tuneful Christmas concert that will put the audience in the holiday spirit.  The “Big Horn Brass Christmas Show” with Valerie Day will play Vancouver’s LifePoint Church on Saturday, December 19 at 7:30 pm.

The concert consists of new arrangements of old favorites accompanied by a video presentation, as well as Christmas carols and standards guaranteed to warm you up for the season.  “Big Horn Brass” has been an area favorite since 1983.  The sixteen-piece big band consists of brass and percussion instruments, and is conducted by David Bryan.  The band boasts Vancouver Symphony Orchestra musicians Douglas Peebles on bass trombone, Mark Vehrencamp on tuba and Bruce Dunn on trumpet.

LifePoint Church (and its acoustically-perfect auditorium) is located at 305 NE 192nd Ave in Vancouver.  Tickets go on sale on Monday, November 9 at www.vancouversymphony.org.  Tickets are priced at $15 for adults, with children under 12 admitted free of charge.

Brain Chemistry For Lovers on Oregon Art Beat

Vince Patton and the Oregon Art Beat crew goes behind the scenes for “the making of” Brain Chemistry For Lovers with Valerie Day, Darrell Grant, Jim Blashfield, John Smith, Dr. Larry Sherman, and the Portland Chamber Orchestra. (for those who can’t see the OPB widget and would like to see the show – click HERE)

BRAIN CHEMISTRY FOR LOVERS on Oregon Public Broadcasting’s ART BEAT

April 2, 2009
8:00 pmto8:30 pm

brain-chem-for-lovers-27_21

On Thursday, April 2nd at 8 PM, Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Art Beat will air a program about “the making of” Brain Chemistry For Lovers. Producer Vince Patton and crew follow Valerie Day and Darrell Grant through the different stages of the creative process with filmmaker Jim Blashfield, orchestrator/arranger John Smith, and OHSU’s neuroscientist Dr. Larry Sherman – culminating in a premier performance with the Portland Chamber Orchestra at the Newmark Theater in Portland OR.

This program will be rebroadcast on Sunday, April 6th at 6 PM.

Darrell Grant on Oregon Art Beat

I was just about to write a blog about Darrell and why he’s so great to work with. Then I saw a repeat of a piece that Oregon Art Beat did on him a few years ago and realized my work was done! The interview with Darrell is great – it captures his essence perfectly. You’ll see why I’m so grateful to be playing music with him and why he’s the perfect person to be musical director for the Brain Chemistry For Lovers show. There’s also some footage from Darrell’s “Spirit” CD release concert that shows his deeper spiritual leanings. It was a beautiful concert – and our first one together.

Sex in the Brain – Part One

My son Malcolm thinks I’ve become a science nerd. He teases me because I can’t stop reading books about the brain and I talk about neuroscience all the time. But I can’t help it! Because of the research I’ve done for the Brain Chemistry For Lovers show, I’ve fallen down the rabbit hole into the rapidly evolving world of neuroscience.

And what a world it is! Because of the latest advances in brain scanning technology, scientists can now look inside the brain and get a more complete picture of who we are and what makes us tick. Discoveries are being made every day that help to answer some of the questions that we humans have been asking for centuries. Questions like…

Who are we? Why are we the same yet different? Is it nature or nurture that ultimately shapes us as humans? And then there are the more pressing questions like….why doesn’t he ever put the toilet seat down? Why does she always nag about the dishes? and…why oh why can’t he find stuff in the refrigerator when it’s staring him in the face?

Ok – maybe those last few questions aren’t exactly earth shattering, but they do end up leading us to THE all encompassing question…what makes women and men so different from each other?

One book that helped to answer some of those questions for me (and that I still think about when faced with that open toilet seat) is called:

The Female Brain
by Louann Brizendine, M.D.

the-female-brain

Continue reading ‘Sex in the Brain – Part One’